Elderberry's health benefits

Elderberries have been employed in European folk medicine since
antiquity for lots of illnesses from arthritis and asthma to colds
and constipation.

Elderberries have been employed in European folk medicine since
antiquity for lots of illnesses from arthritis and asthma to colds
and constipation.
Elderberry is now becoming a functional food ingredient, especially
in the Austrian, German and English markets because of its flavour
and its health benefits.
Austria is the world's largest elderberry-producing country. Food
manufacturers use Haschberg variety elderberries in juices, jams,
fruit yoghurts and wines. Elderberry extract is popular in the
nutraceutical field.
Recent research done in Europe found that elderberries are
concentrated sources of anthocyanins, potent purple pigments that
appear to benefit health in several ways. Ongoing research in
Europe is focusing on these anthocyanins.
In Karlsruhe at Germany's Bundesforschungsanstalt research centre
for food, scientists conduct studies on dietary agents that can
reduce oxidation and protect cells. According to Dr. Gerhard
Rechkemmer, the director of the centre, anthocyanins found in
elderberries have more antioxidant capacity than either vitamin E
or vitamin C.
According to his research, elderberry anthocyanins enhance immune
function by boosting the production of cytokines, proteins acting
as messengers in the immune system to help regulate immune
response
Dr. Werner Pfannhauser and Dr. Michael Murkovic from the Austrian
University of Graz showed that elderberry extract reduces oxidation
of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Oxidation of LDL
cholesterol is implicated in atherogenesis, contributing to
cardiovascular disease.
A study done in Israel on the anti-viral activity of elderberry
extract showed that in vitro elderberry extract inhibited the
replication of a number of strains of influenza A and B in cell
cultures.